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Toronto pays a visit to Washington on Wednesday, hoping to shut down the Capitals snipers in hockey action at Verizon Center.

The Washington Capitals currently sport a record of 46-12-4. The Toronto Maple Leafs are 21-30-10. Betting totals have seen the Capitals post a 25-23-14 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Maple Leafs have gone 25-28-8 against the number.

On the surface, the meeting between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs is not exactly the most noteworthy matchup on Wednesday’s slate, but it does present one interesting morsel of information, especially for puck bettors.

Lines for Wednesday’s tilt hit the board at online shop Bovada earlier and if the Capitals’ moneyline price holds firm, it will make them the largest favorite of the season to date. At the time of writing, the Caps are -330 in moneyline markets while the lowly Leafs are +265.

The Detroit Red Wings are destined for another postseason appearance, but they can still catch the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers and get a higher seed for their Cup run. If they keep playing the way they have on home ice of late, that should not be an issue for the Original Six club. The Wings get another game in front of their home crowd when they host the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday evening.

Shark Bites

The Blackhawks are just 1-4 SU in their last five games at Joe Louis Arena.

The total has gone UNDER in four of the Red Wings’ last five games.

The Blackhawks are 5-2 SU in their last seven games versus teams with a winning record.

The Wings have gone 5-1 SU in their last six games at Joe Louis Arena and have posted back-to-back wins at home heading into Wednesday’s date with the Hawks. The team has won three-straight games overall and is now just five points behind the Panthers in the Atlantic Division.

Chicago has been uncharacteristically inconsistent since the All-Star break but snapped a mini two-game losing skid with a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals in their last game on Sunday. The Hawks are one of three teams (Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues) with 83 points in the competitive Central Division, so they had better start stringing wins together before they find themselves below the other two clubs fighting for the division crown.

Although the two old division rivals do not meet up with any frequency anymore, the Wings have had the edge in recent meetings. Detroit has skated to victories in three of the previous four contests versus the Blackhawks and took both matchups last season, including a 4-1 win at Joe Louis on November 14, 2014.

No team in the NHL is hotter than the Anaheim Ducks and the high-flying Western Conference club bids for their ninth-straight victory when they host the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday evening.

Shark Bites

The Blackhawks are just 1-4 SU in their last five games at Joe Louis Arena.

The total has gone UNDER in four of the Red Wings’ last five games.

The Blackhawks are 5-2 SU in their last seven games versus teams with a winning record.

At online shop Bovada, the Ducks are presently -220 favorites while the Habs are +175 in moneyline markets. The total is tabbed at 5.5 goals with the OVER priced at +115 and the UNDER presently -145.

The last four wins during the Ducks’ great streak came on home ice with tonight’s tilt versus the Canadiens finishing off a five-game homestand before they set off for a mini two-game trek.

Corey Perry notched a hat trick and one assist in Anaheim’s 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings in their last game Sunday. The win moved them to within two points of the Pacific-leading Kings and was the cherry on top of a 12-2 SU February.

The Habs started their California road trip with a 6-2 loss at the San Jose Sharks Monday evening. The Canadiens have been disastrous against the Western Conference of late, posting a 1-13 SU record in their last 14 meetings with teams from the West. Furthermore, the Canadiens have gone just 3-7 SU in their last 10 meetings with the Ducks, including losses in both meetings last season.

The two clubs are clearly headed in opposite directions and that is sure to continue as the season winds down.

The Florida Panthers will look to grab a road win when they take on the Jets in Winnipeg at MTS Centre on Tuesday in NHL betting odds action.

The Winnipeg Jets currently sport a record of 26-31-4. The Florida Panthers are 35-19-8. Betting totals have seen the Jets post a 27-30-4 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Panthers have gone 22-29-11 against the number.

The Central Division might be the best in hockey and two of its playoff-bound teams are set to square off when the Dallas Stars visit the Nashville Predators Tuesday night.

Shark Bites

The Predators are 10-25 in their last 35 games versus the Central Division.

The Stars are 6-2 SU in their last eight road games.

The Stars are 1-4 SU in their last five games following a loss.

Online book Bovada is presently offering the Preds at -145 in moneyline markets while the Stars are +115. The total is currently tabbed at 5.5 with OVER 5.5 goals at -110 and UNDER 5.5 goals at -120.

The Predators enter Tuesday’s action as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, carrying a four-game winning streak into the meeting with their Central Division rivals. Most recently, Nashville posted a 5-0 win on home ice over the St. Louis Blues back on Saturday and have had a couple of days off to enjoy their recent run of success.

Interestingly, the Preds have not been at their best when they have had two days off in between games. They have gone just 2-7 SU in their last nine games with two days off in between. Certainly an angle for Preds backers to keep in mind.

The Stars are trending in the opposite direction as they have now lost three-straight games following Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. They are still tied with the Chicago Blackhawks atop the Central with 83 points, but have been dreadful of late, posting just one win in their last seven games overall.

A silver lining for Stars backers, however, is that they have won each of the last four meetings with the Preds. It could be a good night for the Stars to get back in the win column.

The NHL hockey betting odds menu sees a clash between Minnesota and Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, with the host Wild trying to win for themselves and reward betting fans who back them on the moneyline.

The Minnesota Wild are 28-25-10 so far on the season. The Colorado Avalanche, meanwhile, are 32-28-4. OVER/UNDER betting fans have seen Minnesota go 24-27-12 and the Avalanche go 30-31-3 on the totals.

Once upon a time, Alexander Ovechkin versus Sidney Crosby was the biggest rivalry in the NHL. While that battle has lost a little bit of its sheen over the past couple of seasons, the duel between two of the league’s biggest names might be undergoing a bit of a renaissance lately. The superstars square off once again as the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night.

Shark Bites

The Penguins are 1-4 SU in their last five games versus teams with winning records.

The Capitals are 18-3 SU in their last 21 games at home.

The Penguins are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games against the Capitals.

The Caps have been the Golden State Warriors of the NHL this season, dominating opponents and headlines since the campaign began. They are 14 points up on their nearest competitor at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and sit 22 points ahead of the Penguins entering Tuesday’s action.

Ovechkin in particular caught fire in the month of February, tallying a dozen goals and 16 points in 13 games during the month. He now leads the league with 40 goals – four up Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Penguins have begun heating up of late and bring a two-game winning streak into D.C. Tuesday night. They have provided bettors value when playing in the second game of back-to-backs since the All-Star break as well, posting a 2-0 record in two such spots since the midseason hiatus. They are in that spot once again Tuesday as they posted a 6-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes Monday night, thanks in large part to a Patric Hornqvist hattrick and Marc-Andre Fleury shutout.

Similar to Ovechkin, Crosby put together an excellent month in February, notching eight goals and 10 assists in 13 games. The Pens’ captain now sits ninth in the league in scoring with 59 points.

With Fleury getting the start Monday, it could very well be a start for backup netminder Jeff Zatkoff Tuesday night. Zatkoff allowed four goals on 16 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in his last start back on February 20.

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